Ludovic Dupont
Ludovic Dupont, chef of the restaurant La Fenière, likes working with Debic Végétop.
On a hot dish the foam stays in place perfectly.
On the edge of the Calanques National Park in Provence is the small village of La Bouilladisse, within the Bouches-du-Rhône area, not far from Marseille. This is where chef Ludovic Dupont lives and works. Having spent time at several renowned establishments including L'Épuisette in Marseille, he then ran his own restaurant in Marseille for twelve years and has been leading La Fenière for the past four years. He cooks with local, seasonal ingredients and also uses Debic products such as Végétop.
Chef Ludovic Dupont ran his own restaurant L'Oléas in Marseille for many years. Every evening, as he returned to his home in the Provençal village of La Bouilladisse, he passed La Fenière*: a charming little hotel with twelve rooms, a swimming pool and a restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere. “La Fenière” is housed in an old rural building right in the centre of La Bouilladisse, a small village fifteen minutes' drive from Aix-en-Provence and Aubagne. The restaurant has an indoor area with a cosy, authentic atmosphere and an open fireplace, as well as a pleasant outdoor area on a shaded terrace. Although it is in the centre of the village, it always has a peaceful, calm atmosphere. ‘For four years I passed the restaurant every day and saw things were going well: it was always full. My wife said: if they are ever looking for another owner for that restaurant, it should be you. And that is what happened!’
Ludovic has been convinced since the start that La Fenière has huge potential. ‘There is not much competition in the area. La Fenière already had a good reputation in the area. It was originally a family business, founded forty years ago by a mother and then carried on by her daughters. One of the daughters still runs the hotel, and I took over the restaurant part from her sister. We are both in the same building and under the same name, but we are two separate owners.’ Ludovic took over the restaurant along with two partners: his wife Carole Dupont and Frederic Geoffroy. He and his team now serve lunch and dinner five days a week: dishes featuring the colours of the Midi, prepared with care using ingredients that are always seasonal and local when possible. Ludovic's dishes are based on authenticity, refinement and creativity.
Inspiration
Ludovic mainly finds inspiration from his colleagues. ‘As a chef, you do of course find inspiration everywhere. If I am walking in the hills and happen to see some rosemary, it gives me the idea of making gnocchi with rosemary and fish. Sometimes it is quite simple, but very often it is in response to something I see, smell, hear or taste. Your senses are always awake and inspiration comes to you like a bolt of lightning. I go out to eat every weekend, and that generates ideas for my own cooking too. You can transform something you have seen or tasted into a vision of your own and do it in your own way.’ Ludovic often challenges his kitchen team to make one of his ideas a reality. ‘I prepare a dish and then we taste it together. If someone says they would do something differently, we try it.’
Ludovic loves regional dishes so he naturally makes fougasse: a type of bread originally from Provence. A fougasse can be kneaded or cut into a variety of shapes and there are both savoury and sweet varieties. ‘I turned the sweet fougasse into my signature dessert: the Tropézienne. I have been making this dish for almost fifteen years now. I have taken it off the menu a few times, but there was always so much demand that we put it back again straight away. I don't think it is always right for winter, because I like to make the dessert with strawberries or raspberries. This winter I served it with mango and Madagascar vanilla.’
It is always just right and easy to work with, both in liquid form and after whipping.
Ludovic uses Végétop as cream in his signature dish: both in liquid form to make the biscuit base, and after whipping for the decoration. ‘I'm not very good at cakes, which is why the biscuit base is a kind of fougasse. I can’t fault the Végétop, either: it is always just right and easy to work with, both in liquid form and after whipping. It has just the right technical properties, so it is great to use as an ingredient. It also offers attractive margins.’ Ludovic regularly uses Végétop as a foam too. ‘We often make emulsions, like a mousse from a siphon: the Végétop is just perfect for that. For example it allows you to froth up a lobster bisque using a hand blender. I always use that foam on lobster ravioli. Debic Végétop is just right for that, too. The foam stays firm and remains in place very well during serving. In fact I have been using Debic's products for years now, even at previous places where I worked. If something is right, there is no need to change it.’
